The impacts of air pollution Jayden, Ryan, Bailey and Rachel

The impacts of air pollution destroy the environment and also ruins its beauty. Air pollution such as acid rain can damage our surroundings and poison our water. CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) caused by aerosols (such as deoderant) can severely damage the ozone layer, causing the Sun’s harmful rays to breach the Earth and can have very harmful effects on people. Smog may be by far the deadliest kind of air pollution out there. In a much shorter time than even 10 years, smog can cause the same effects to your lungs and body as cigarettes can in a lifetime. It can cause problems such as colds, pneumonia and lung cancer. In 1952, smog killed over 4000 people in London. Air pollution – 21 st century. Did we get better, or worse? Air pollution – 20 th century Google images

Air pollution is caused by chemicals that have been released into the air after some sort of reaction. Air pollution can greatly affect health and the environment. It can affect your cardiovascular system and your blood. It can also destroy crops and farmlands by blocking the Sun if it is thick enough and thus affecting people in quantity of food. Roughly, the government spends 4.7 Billion dollars on health issues caused from air pollution in New South Wales alone. Air pollution is also the cause of 2.3% of all deaths in Australia.

O Industry's and motor vehicles release gases which, when hit by the sunlight, change into acids. The acids can be collected on clouds and when it rains, down comes the acid. How Acid rain happens

O Ph is measured from 0 to 14. O Tap water is neutral sitting at 7. O Sea water is around 8. O Soft drinks are around 2 or 3. O Orange Juice is also around 2 or 3. O But Plain, unpolluted rainwater is at 5. O Any measurement under 5 is considered Acid rain. So, how much danger of acid rain are we in?

O Australia is sparsely populated, its cities are far apart and has no nearby countries. So the Reading for acid rain aren’t very high. But in areas where there are smelters and power stations, Acid rain is more of a problem. So where should you be wary of Acid rain?

O Acid rain has more of an effect on forests, rivers and lakes because the acid rain causes the water and the soil to become acidified. That can cause trees to stop growing or even die, and rivers will become so acidified that they wound be able to sustain aquatic life. Where does it effect us most?

What do people think about it? Quote from an important critic in the northern hemisphere: “ Every year protections are delayed, another 34,000 people will die prematurely.” A quote from a member of the Environmental Audit Committee in Europe: "It is often the poorest people in our cities who live near the busiest roads and breathe in diesel fumes, dangerous chemicals and bits of tyre every day…” A quote from a famous professional American comedy writer: “There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all.”

SO WHAT CAN WE DO!?!? Well, there is always the last resorts of ban the use of any fossil fuel-burning vehicle. Which of course would result in the days becoming less efficient due to lack of time because we would have to walk everywhere if not dying from getting crushed to death on the trains. But, that is a highly unlikely possibility in this era. So, what can we do? There are not many things we can, but here are some things we need to consider: Cleaner exhausts on all vehicles Turn off any electronical items/objects when not in use. Turn off the tap when it is not necessary for it to be on. Basically, try to be as conservative as possible. If worst comes to the worst before we think of something smart, then we will have no choice but to fall onto “last resort options”… or we’ll be building domes…

A Newspaper article O Feb. 14, A new study shows that as little as a week in a place with high levels of air pollution raises the risk of heart attack.heart attack. O The additional risk is slight compared with classic heart attack risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking, or diabetes. But researchers say it’s significant because many people are exposed to air pollution, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries.high blood pressure, smoking, or diabetes. But researchers say it’s significant because many people are exposed to air pollution, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. O “Thus, an improvement in air quality could have a significant effect on public health,” researcher Hazrije Mustafic, MD, MPH, of the University of Paris Descartes, and colleagues write in the Journal of the American Medical Association.